Assault On Titan
by T. Lakin
Summary: The Titans have attacked. But, the military has a plan to strike back. Eren Jaeger, a 10 year old who wants nothing more but to join the military and escape the confines of the walls, is about to experience warfare to its greatest extent. Rated M for language, violence, and gore.
1. Chapter 1

*Author's Note*

Hey guys, welcome to my own Attack on Titan fanfiction, Assault on Titan! Assault is the same storyline as Attack, but in present day. There will be some changes to the story line and this will follow the manga more than the anime, but will include the 104th Trainee Arc as well. There, of course, will be differences, considering this involves a modern time where we have aircraft and helicopters and tanks, but I have plans for dealing with said measures as far as the Titans go. I always had a feeling I would write this. Everytime I watched the anime or read the manga, the thought always came to me. What if this all happened in present day? I finally succumbed to my urges and produced this. Follow and fave if you like Attack On Titan and if you like modern warfare type stuff.

**01**

**To You, In Present Day: The Fall of Shinganshina, Part 1**

Eren Jaeger sighed as he got up from his bed and stared at the alarm clock, the digital arms reading 0830. He rubbed his eyes and stared out his window, seeing the same sight everyone else saw when they looked east, hell, they saw it if they looked any direction. A big ass concrete wall that extended seventy meters tall, made of two feet of steel in between three feet of concrete. Nothing could bring down Wall Maria. Not a volley of Hellfire missiles from the Apaches, a bunker buster from the F-15s, or even a 150mm shell from the Abrams tanks.

Nothing could get through. They were safe from the Titans. Since ancient times, they had been at war with them, and the only thing that kept humanity alive were three walls and six different military units assigned to keep the walls secure.

Those units were the Rotor Wing Force, which consisted of AH-64D Apache Longbows and AH-1Z Super Cobras, the Air Force, which were F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10C Warthogs, the Armored Corps, which housed M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks, the Military Police, an infantry force in charge of protecting the king and other political figures, the Cavalry Regiment, which were MH-60 Black Hawks and LAV-25s and the troops used with the Hawks and LAVs, and the Garrison Force, which were the defenses lining each wall.

All six of these units had a single enemy: the Titans. The Titans seemed to be giant people whose only goal was to eat humans, but as far as military intelligence could find, they had no true reason to eat people. Their only true goal in eating people was killing them. It puzzled everyone, and several believed the Titans were created by humans as a weapon. Those ideas were shot down quickly, but that same question always arose at every discussion the military had about the Titans: "Did we do this?"

Most of the forces only operated to deal with Titans that had massed outside the walls and needed to be cleared out, but the Cavalry Regiment was the only force that went outside the walls and established outposts. So far, no operations had been successful and they had sustained heavy casualties on every operation so far.

Despite their losses, the Cavalry Regiment was Eren Jaeger's dream. He hadn't told his parents or his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman yet, but he planned to today. He had been weak throughout most of his life, so he was hoping the hardcore training the Cavalry Regiment gave him would change him into a strong and professional soldier.

Eren changed out of his pajamas and met with his family downstairs.

His mother had a look of anxiety across her face as she glanced at her son before returning to her stove. "Good morning, Eren."

His father was reading a newspaper at the kitchen table while Mikasa stared out the window, avoiding Eren's gaze as much as possible. The entire mood of the sunshine yellow kitchen was stern and awkward. Eren decided to change that, "Good morning. What's with all of you today?"

Eren's father put down his newspaper and cleared his throat, holding up what looked like a brochure. "Your mother is a little on edge about this."

The first thought to go through Eren's head was _oh shit, not my manga stash!_ But, as he looked at the brochure more, he realized he was in deeper water than explaining his new found love for art. The brochure was his enlistment application to the military, and it was completely filled out by Eren the night before. Eren sighed, "Yes. I was going to tell you guys about that later today. I just needed to-"

His mother slammed a bowl onto the ground, "No. You aren't joining. Forget about it."

Eren gritted his teeth and prepared to speak, but his father interrupted him, "Carla, he's 10. He still has two more years before he sends in the finalization papers. Plenty of time to change his mind if he wants to." He smiled at Eren. "I personally have no problem with you wanting to enlist. Unfortunately, I have to leave for Mitras in Wall Sina today, so I will talk with you about your decision when I get back." He kissed Eren on the head and gave Mikasa and Carla a hug as he opened the door to their house. "Eren." He pulled a key from a lanyard out from his neck, "I'll also show you what's in the basement when I get back too. Goodbye!"

With that, Dr. Grisha Jaeger vanished into the streets of Shinganshina. Carla Jaeger glared at Eren. "I don't care what your father says, you are NOT joining the military."

Eren gritted his teeth and yelled, "It's not your choice! It's mine! You can't control what I do!" Eren snatched the enlistment letter out of her hand and ran out the door. He knew Shinganshina well enough that he could run off and come back home quite easily. He made a left turn, followed by another left then a right.

He came across a blonde haired kid being beat up by three others. The blonde kid was Eren's best friend, Armin Arlert. He was like Eren, weak and wanting to prove himself. But, unlike Eren, he was incredibly smart and often theorized about the Titans and their origins. He, like Eren, also believed the walls were just a way for humanity to survive. The two of them wanted humanity to thrive, which to them meant going outside the walls. He was the only one to know of Eren's interests in the military, specifically the Cavalry Regiment.

Eren charged at the bullies, screaming, "Hey get off of him!"

The bullies seemed intimidated by him as they let go of Armin and fled. Eren caught up with his friend and checked on his wounds. He had a black eye and several bruises across his face, but that looked like it was it. Eren sighed, "Looks like they were afraid of me, huh?"

Armin gave a small laugh and pointed behind him, "Not you."

Eren looked back and noticed Mikasa standing there. He rolled his eyes and went back to tending his friend, "Was this about the wall again?"

Armin nodded, "Yeah. People seem to think that _this_ is living."

Eren nodded, "This isn't living. We're being penned in like livestock, a perfect target for the Titans. This is survival. Humanity is meant to flourish, not be couped up inside some walls."

Mikasa spoke next, "Eren... If you join the military, I'll join with you."

Armin patted his friend on the back, "So will I."

Eren laughed lightly, "You guys mean it? You'll really help me out?

Armin smiled, "Of course. We're friends, right?"

Mikasa sat next to the pair, "And _we're_ family."

A loud boom echoed through the Shinganshina district, followed by a bolt of... lightning? But it was the middle of the day, with not a cloud in sight. Emerging from the bolt of lightning came a hand. A giant red and white hand, as if it didn't have any skin on it. Next came a face, made of purely bone and muscle. The entire figure stood at least twenty meters taller than Wall Maria.

Eren looked upon the colossal sight with both fear and amazement. "Titans..."


	2. Chapter 2

**02**

**To You, In Present Day: The Fall of Shinganshina, Part 2**

Commander Dot Pixis looked down at the array of tactical maps before him. A giant red x was painted where the breach in the wall had been made. It only took the military of Wall Maria five minutes to push to Alert Level One, an Alert Level meant specifically for a wall breach. Live feeds from his drones were coming in and showing dozens of three, seven, ten, fifteen, and twenty-five meter Titans filing through the breach the 100 meter – now codenamed "Colossal" – Titan had created with a simple kick. Pixis gritted his teeth at the ironic breaching method the Colossal had used. _The motherfucker is using the same tactics we would use to breach a building…_

Every soldier was trained in dealing with wall breaches, but none expected it to actually happen, considering it hadn't happened in hundreds of years. Unfortunately, Pixis was the one in command of the district of Shinganshina and the entire southern area. He would have to deal with the breach. However, he did have reinforcements from the commanders of the Eastern and Western areas being choppered in, ETA 45 minutes.

His Armored Corps commander (ACCOM) was waiting for the go-ahead to deploy a full company of M1A2 Abrams tanks into the city. Pixis looked at the man and nodded his head, returning to the tactical maps as the ACCOM spoke into his radio, "Alpha company, roll out in force. Move forward and join the vanguard."

Pixis put his headset on and started working his magic across the frequencies, "Alright, Rapier Flight, emergency sortie. Titans in the wire, I repeat, Titans in the wire. Scramble all rotor and fixed wing aircraft capable of target suppression." He barked at his air commander (AIRCOM), "Grimly! Take over for the air units!"

"Yes sir." Grimly went to work as he tapped multiple displays and rattled off orders to the several squadrons at his command.

Pixis simply returned to command, changing frequencies to the Garrison Force, "All artillery units, move back and cover the secondary gate! If the Titans break through there, you can expect a full retreat to Wall Rose! Boron Company, move your tanks with the artillery and keep them well defended. All infantry, engage with 3D maneuver gear and standard rifles. All anti-Titan snipers, take up your watch positions."

"Roger" from the sub-commanders of each group that Pixis just rattled off echoed through the command center. Pixis folded his hands in his lap and glared at the displays. He wasn't going to lose here. He hated losing.

Back on the ground, Eren could only watch in horrifying amazement as AH-64 Apaches and AH-1Z Cobras thudded through the air, delivering lethal payloads of rockets and missiles and 30mm gunfire down onto a 25 meter Titan. The Titan turned to face the squadron of five helicopters, its fixed smile making it look horrifying to the pilots and gunners. Several of them opened fire with their 30mm HEDP cannons, but didn't score any blood. They watched in horror as the supposed armor piercing "tank-killer" rounds splashed and exploded on the Titan's skin.

The Titan simply picked up a piece of a building and lugged it at the nearest Apache. The pilot dodged the large chunk, but missed the several smaller ones that penetrated the cockpit and killed both the pilot and gunner.

Eren couldn't watch anymore. He turned back towards Armin and Mikasa and said, "Let's go! We gotta go! First thing's first, we head back to my house to get my mother. Armin, where are you going?"

"I gotta find my dad! I'll meet up with you at the boats!" Armin sprinted off, leaving Mikasa and Eren alone in the street.

They nodded at each other and sprinted down the frantic streets of Shinganshina, dodging people, falling jets and choppers, tanks, and Garrison Infantry as the military threw everything they could at the Titans. They paused and watched in amazement as a squad of infantry stopped in front of them and began firing at a 5 meter Titan with their rifles. Their teamwork was amazing, and it only took them a couple minutes before a few rounds struck the Titan's weak point and went down. The eight troopers gave a cheer and dashed vertically into the air using their 3D maneuver gear. That's when Eren saw the insignia on their backs. The "Wings of Freedom" had arrived. He gave a cheer and saluted to the soldiers of the Cavalry Regiment as they arced across the sky. As they left his view, Eren resumed running, desperate to reach his mother's house. But, as he finally reached the street that led to his house, fear shot through his spine.

The house was gone, crumbled beneath a Titan's corpse. Eren swore at the world, but continued running for the house. He had to see if his mother was still alive. His heart filled with joy as he neared the house and saw a figure laying outside it, reaching towards them for help.

It sank in agony again as he managed to grab his mother's hand. The house was on top of her, crushing her legs and pelvis. Eren couldn't contain it any longer, "Mom! We're going to get you out of there!"

She shook her head fiercely and spoke through clenched teeth, "No! Get out of here, now!"

A member of the Garrison Force arrived behind them using his 3D maneuver gear. He grimaced at the sight. "Carla! Oh shit!"

Carla looked up at the Garrison Force soldier, "Hannes, get the kids out of here now!"

Hannes paused and looked at her confused, "What about you?"

Fear struck her face as she came to the realization, "The house crushed my legs. Even if you did get me out, I wouldn't be able to walk and would slow you all down. Please! Take the kids!" The earth shook around them. They all knew what was headed their way.

Hannes, Eren, and Mikasa peeked around the house and froze in fear. A 15 meter Titan was shambling their way with a menacing smile that displayed teeth as sharp as razor blades. Hannes swore, "Don't worry, Carla. I'll take care of this Titan and get you out of here. Just you watch!"

Carla shouted in disagreement behind him as he sprinted off to engage.

He was going to do it. He would be the hero to Eren, Mikasa, and Carla. He was going to kill his first Titan and show Eren that the Garrison Force could kill Titans just as easily as the Cavalry Regiment. He was – He couldn't. Hannes could only look at the smiling face and shaggy hair of the Titan. The thing was going to kill and eat him with a smile on his face, then eat the kids, and finish his meal with Carla. Hannes couldn't move any further.

He turned back around and sprinted for Eren and Mikasa, grabbing Mikasa under his arm and throwing Eren over his shoulder.

Carla Jaeger smiled as she watched her ten year old son and adopted daughter be carried away. "Thank you, Hannes." She whispered a prayer to herself as she felt herself lift off the ground. She wasn't going to go out peacefully. Carla wanted to fight to the end. As she stared at the Titan, she began beating down on its hand that had grasped her. "Do it, you sick bastard!" The Titan grabbed hold of her head and twisted her spine, killing her quickly and painlessly.

Eren reached out for his mother from the street below as the Titan bit down on her. Blood filled the air, and anger filled Eren's heart as Hannes carried the kids away.

Eren would kill them all. Not a single Titan would live once he joined the military. He would do it for his mother, for revenge.


	3. Chapter 3

**03**

**That Day: The Fall of Shinganshina, Part 3**

Commander Pixis swore as he heard the transmission, "Repeat, Hatchet 3 going down, grid location 056…" They just lost their last available attack chopper. Their tanks were being tossed like toys and the infantry squads weren't making a dent. His situation just went from shit storm to an all-out FUBAR hurricane.

He released a long breath and issued his final order. "All units, this is Red Rose. Fall back and establish security on the secondary gate. I want artillery out of the city and every single Cavalry Regiment unit off the ground and on full retreat to Wall Rose. Garrison Force – you are ordered on full retreat to Wall Rose in 45 mikes. We have CH-47 Chinooks and C-17 Globemasters waiting at extraction. All Armored Corps units: hold position at the gate and take out everything taller than a human, buildings as well. If you can't kill them, knock 'em down to your size. All aircraft, use of napalm and Rockeye II cluster bombs authorized. Danger close fire missions authorized. Slasher, are you in the air?"

"Slasher is airborne from FOB Pavlov. ETA 45 mikes. On afterburners."

Pixis composed himself as he struggled with the next order, "Clear to drop GBU-34 MOABs on Shinganshina. I repeat… You are authorized to release full payload of six times GBU-34 Massive Ordinance Air Burst explosives over Shinganshina."

The pilot behind the B-1 Lancer - callsign "Slasher" - that was headed for Shinganshina lightened his voice as he spoke, "Y-yes sir. Slasher copies. Authorized to drop six times GBU-34 MOAB over Shinganshina. Commander?"

"What is it, Slasher?"

"Let's kill some Titans."

"Go get 'em."

The normally busy command center was now silent and stern. Everyone heard that last transmission. Pixis looked at all of the commanders in the center and barked, "That goes for you boys and girls as well! Let's kill some Titans people!"

"Rogers" and cheers came from the officers in the command center as they resumed their work. Pixis closed his eyes. _45 minutes to evacuate all of Shinganshina…_ _I just hope we keep the Titans away from the evacuation gate._

Eren Jaeger wasn't thinking as clearly as Commander Pixis, however. He was mad. Mad at Hannes for not killing the Titans. Mad at the Titans for killing his mother. Mad at whoever created the Titans. He didn't care if it was God or humans. He wanted them and every single Titan to die by his hand.

So, Eren thought it fitting to drop his elbow down on Hannes' head while screaming, "How could you? Why didn't you fight?! We could have killed that Titan and saved mom!" He continued to drop elbows, almost in rhythm to the constant thumping of the Apaches' 30mm cannons above, until Hannes stopped and threw him off of his shoulder.

Hannes looked down at the angry, crying child and yelled, "Eren. Listen to me. I couldn't kill the Titan because I was too weak. I was afraid. Scared out of my mind. You are weak and afraid too, Eren." He leaned in closer and whispered, "Prove you are strong by controlling your emotions and using them as fuel to kill Titans in the future."

They covered themselves as dozens of MH-60 Black Hawks zoomed overhead, heading the exact direction everyone else was. North. Away from the Titans. To Wall Rose. To sanctuary. Hannes noticed the artillery and mortar rounds had stopped as well. _No… Not yet._ Sadly, Hannes came to the realization that Commander Pixis had ordered a fire bombing of the entire Shinganshina district. F-15s and A-10s roared high above, releasing little black dots of napalm and cluster bombs over Shinganshina.

Hannes' radio squelched, "Harriet Four, this is Harriet Actual. All Garrison Force units have been ordered to the evacuation gate. We have 45 minutes to evacuate all civilians from Shinganshina before Slasher arrives. Get your civvies to the boats and meet with the rest of Harriet Platoon at the evac site."

Hannes swore, "Harriet Four copies. Moving now." He looked down at Eren. "Eren, trust me. Survive today, and you get to kill the Titans tomorrow."

Eren didn't respond. He simply got up from the ground and began to run with Mikasa and Hannes towards the evacuation zone.

Armin Arlert waited on the boats that lined the canal that led to Wall Rose and the Trost district. He peered through the dust that the CH-47s kicked up and the through the hundreds of people waiting in line to board the ships.

He spotted them. Eren and Mikasa were walking across the gangplank to board the ferry behind Armin's. He called out to them, but didn't get a response. His father put his hand on the boy and said, "Armin. Sit down. Let those two be. Judging by the looks on their faces, they've seen too much. Let's let them sit down and cool off."

A Garrison Force soldier on the side of the boat cleared his throat to get Armin's attention. He smiled softly at the two before speaking, "Sirs, we are requesting you dump your bags to allow more people to board. You can keep one bag per family. I'm sorry."

Armin's father smiled at the young soldier, "You have nothing to be sorry for. We will dump our bags and sit on the edge of the boat if it means fitting more people aboard."

The soldier bowed and that was when Armin noticed the tears streaking down his face. He must have had family in Shinganshina, or saw his brothers and sisters in arms get eaten by a Titan. "Th-thank you sir. You're the first person who has been so kind enough to do so that willingly."

Armin's father reached over the side of the ship and put his hands on the soldier's shoulders. "Continue your duties, soldier. We civilians don't know how good we've got it that you boys and girls are here protecting us." The ship lurched forward. Armin's father released his grip and sighed as he watched the soldier continue his work.

He never heard the Giant thud towards the evac site.

But First Sergeant Drake Palano's tank platoon saw the 18 meter giant. It looked as if it was… armored? With huge muscular shoulders and impressive calf muscles, Palano almost didn't fire at the muscular monster.

"All tanks, focus fire on that big motherfucker!" The four M1A2 Abrams in his platoon fired consecutively at the new arrival, the 125mm shells exploding on the skin, none penetrating. The rounds that missed penetrated into the other Titans around the Armored Titan, Palano would be the first to call it such, and took off heads and limbs. But the limbs and heads grew back rather quickly, as the only way to kill a Titan was a 125mm to the neck to completely kill, or a 1 meter cut to the nape of the neck with the infantry's specialty paring blades. Smaller Titans had an extra weak point below their chin, making them easier to kill from the front.

But this Titan didn't even flinch at the 125mm shells as they exploded on his skin. The thing simply put its foot into the earth and charged the tank line. Palano got on the radio as fast as he could, "Close the goddamn gate!"

"Negative! We need to get you guys out of there!"

"It's too late, close the fucker or we will actually lose this sector!"

"Alright, we're closing it now. Get your asses in here!"

Palano would have said "Roger" if his tank and the rest of his tank line hadn't been crushed by the Armored Titan.

The Titan didn't care about the closed gate either. He simply crashed his way through it, creating a massive earthquake and finally breaching all the way through Wall Maria and into uncharted territory for the Titans.

The smoldering tank line behind the Armored Titan added to the scene as it disappeared into fog.

Commander Dot Pixis watched this in horror from his command center inside of Wall Sina. A soldier walked in and saluted, "Commander Pixis? Commander Irving would like a word. Something about a capture operation."


	4. Chapter 4

**04**

**A Dim Light in the Darkness of Despair: Humanity Comeback, Part 1**

Staff Sergeant Keith Shadis walked through the line of the 104th Trainee Corps, looking over each one's face, trying to find the weak links. He found one. "Recruit!"

The 12 year old kid gave a salute, "Yes, Staff Sergeant?"

Keith got up in the kid's face and glared down at him, shouting, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Armin Arlert, Staff Sergeant! I'm from the Shinganshina District!"

"Out-fucking-standing, Arlert! Tell me, why are you here?"

"To help humanity achieve victory, Staff Sergeant!"

"Well that's just lovely! It's always nice to have someone to rely on as Titan food!" He grabbed Armin's head and shouted, "Third Row! About face!" He then followed suit by twisting the kid around to about face.

Keith's goal today was simple. Break down each recruit from who they all thought they were, and start on a blank slate so they could mold to how the military needed them. Let them know their place so they would never be afraid. Never quit. Never say no to die for humanity.

He found another Blondie. Keith glared down at the kid and shouted, "You! Who the hell are you?"

As procedure, the kid gave a salute and spoke, "Yes, Staff Sergeant! Thomas Wagner, Trost District!"

"What the fuck was that recruit? Are you _mumbling_ to yourself? I can't hear you!"

"Thomas Wagner-"

"Still can't hear you! Go practice in a barn!"

"R-right now, Staff Sergeant?"

"Yes! Run your cherry ass to the barn and start shouting until I show up and tell you when you're loud enough!"

"Yes Staff Sergeant!" The recruit sprinted off.

"Fourth Row, about face!" Keith simply moved on. He passed a blonde haired girl with a serious look on her face. _She's already been through hell and knows her place._ So he moved onto a different kid, this one with light-brown hair and an annoying smirk.

"Who are you, recruit?"

"Staff Sergeant, my name is Jean Kirchstein, Staff Sergeant!"

"That's not what I asked, recruit! Who. Are. You?!"

The poor kid looked even more confused, "A soldier, sir?"

Keith gave the kid a head butt, sending him to his knees. He got down to Jean's level and screamed, "Not yet you maggot! Right now, you are a good-for-nothing recruit! You do not deserve to call yourself a soldier until you survive my three year training course!" He got up and spoke to the entire Corps, "That goes for all of you! I will not call you by your names, or call you a soldier, until you have graduated! Can I get a HOOAH Sergeant?"

The entire 104th Trainee Corps saluted and shouted, "HOOAH, Sergeant!"

Keith proceeded with the right-of-passage, coming from a guy who just looked stupid. "Who are you, recruit?"

The kid saluted, "Connie Springer, I'm from Ragako Village on the south side of Wall Rose, S-Sergeant?"

Two things immediately irritated Keith. The first was the faulty in rank. The next was the salute. He picked Connie up by the collar and screamed, this time out of rage than breaking the recruit down. "What the fuck is your problem recruit? Number one: I am the rank of STAFF SERGEANT! Number two: the salute is your right hand over your heart and your left hand behind your back!"

But, as he was about to give Connie a thorough beating, something caught the corner of his eye. One ballsy girl took a chunk out of a potato. The crunch could be heard throughout the formation. Keith cleared his throat and enjoyed the walk over to the recruit. Instead of shouting, he tried a different approach and said calmly, "You. What do you think you're doing?"

The girl looked around at her fellow recruits, who were obviously fearful of the Potato Girl, and took another bite, adding more potato residue to her face.

Now Keith was pissed. Not only was this girl eating during formation, she didn't even answer his question. He got in the recruits face and screamed, "I'm talking to _you_! Who in God's high kingdom are you?"

The girl swallowed hard and saluted, potato still in her right hand, "Sasha Braus from Dauper Village, Staff Sergeant!"

Keith kept his cool and looked down at the recruit, "Tell me, recruit, what you are holding in your right hand?" _Here comes some bullshit answer._

"A steamed potato, Staff Sergeant. I found one in the mess hall before formation and couldn't help myself!"

Keith wanted nothing more than to beat the hell out of the recruit. But, he kept his calm and said, "You _stole_ it? Why? Why did you decide to eat it during the middle of formation?"

"I felt it would be a waste to let it get cold, so after reviewing my options I decided that eating it now was the right decision." The honesty from the recruit was impressing. But, Keith was still confused and angry.

The air had grown stale in the formation. He had lost his fire. "No, I don't understand. _Why_ did you eat the potato?"

Potato Girl now looked confused and had little bits of potato falling from her face as she spoke, "Are you… asking me why people eat potatoes, Staff Sergeant?"

The recruits looked at the girl with looks of confusion, anger, sorrow, and surprise. How could one recruit stump the great Keith Shadis like this?

Suddenly, the girl's eyes lit up, as if she figured it out. She broke the potato in half and proffered it to Keith, saying, "Here's half of it for you, Staff Sergeant."

Keith, still puzzled as all hell, took the half, muttering, "Half…?"

She gave a smile. Keith pocketed the potato and spoke, "I don't understand you, recruit. Run until you drop to pay me back for ruining my formation."

Sasha Braus saluted, finished her potato, and shouted, "Yes Staff Sergeant!"

"Also, you're skipping meals. I will tell you when you can and cannot eat."

That looked like it broke her down. "Yes, Staff Sergeant."

Keith decided that was enough to break the rest of them down. He also needed to think about the potato girl. She was the first of her kind that he had ever met before.

That night, Eren Jaeger was looking at potato girl as she ran around the compound. Connie and Thomas – who had lost his voice from shouting so much – joined him on the porch of their barracks. Connie sighed, "Man, I didn't think she'd take it literally. She's literally going to run herself into the ground."

Thomas looked up at the path that led out of Camp Freedom. "What's that?"

Minna, another recruit, looked up at the trail and saw a Humvee and a Deuce and a Half driving out of the Camp. "They're dropouts. They're choosing to work the fields instead."

Armin was shocked, "What? It's only been a day!"

Eren sighed, "That's just how it is. If you can't cut it here, you have to leave."

Thomas looked out at the grim sight. "That makes sense… I guess."

Eren sighed, "I can't believe anyone would want to pick up rocks and pull plants again…"

Marco, a tall recruit with freckles that complemented his brown eyes and hair stood, "Come to think of it, Eren, where are you from?"

Eren smiled and patted Armin on the back, "Shinganshina. Just like Armin."

The group looked surprised, Marco speaking first, "What? No way! That means you were…"

Connie, however, was intrigued, and asked excitedly, "You were there that day? Did you see the Colossal Titan?"

"Yeah…"

Armin patted Eren on the back, "Come on. Let's eat."

It had been a long day for all of them, and Potato Girl Sasha Braus was still out there, running past the airfield, still on her feet.


	5. Chapter 5

**05**

**A Dim Light in the Darkness of Despair: Humanity's Comeback, Part 2**

They wouldn't stop asking him. "Yes, I saw it."

Connie's eyes grew wider in amazement, "No way! How big was it?"

"It was taller than the wall."

Other recruits had joined in their conversation, "I heard it stepped _over_ the wall."

Eren shook his head, "No, it wasn't that tall."

Thomas directed the conversation to a more serious route, "So… Eren… You've seen the Titans firsthand, right?"

"Yes. How else do you think I got out of Shinganshina?"

Thomas sat down with Eren, "Then why are you here? Why do you want to face them again? I mean, you've seen how scary they are. Why fight them?"

Eren put his spoon down and looked at Thomas with a malevolent fire in his eyes. "Because I need to kill all of them. I need to escape these walls with the Cavalry Regiment and kill all of the Titans."

Someone had scoffed at him. "Seriously? You're joining those failures in the Cavalry Regiment?"

The crowd parted to reveal Jean Kirchstein sitting at a table, glaring at Eren. "Well, I don't know about you, Jaeger, but I intend to ace this training and join the Military Police. You know, the farthest away I can get from the Titans. Fighting them is pointless if we just lose every time. We need to be smarter and _avoid_ fighting them."

By this time, a vein was popping out of Eren's temple. He was pissed. "You go ahead and pussy out of the war, Jean. I'm sure you'd love to join the MPs and suck the King's dick."

Now, Jean was mad as he got up and faced Eren, posing a whole 6 inches taller than him. He looked down at Eren and barked, "Go ahead and be suicidal, but know that not everyone else has a goddamn death wish! Some of us didn't join to be soldiers! We joined because society wants us to!"

Eren simply walked away and headed for the barracks. Jean was left with a face red with rage and… hey… He watched Mikasa as she walked past him. The long dark hair she had was beautiful. Jean cleared his throat and spoke, "M-Mikasa, your hair is beautiful."

She didn't stop walking as she said, "Thanks."

Jean needed her in his life. He sprinted out of the barracks and found his hopes crushed as Mikasa caught up with Eren. He heard something come from Mikasa, "Fine, I'll cut it short."

It was a sad day for Jean. He had to be humiliated in front of his friends, told he was going to be a brown nose in the MPs, and had his heart crushed by a woman he had only known for twelve seconds. Connie walked by, and Jean wiped his hand down his back. Connie flipped around and faced Jean, "Dude, what the hell? Don't go wiping your hands on people like that? What did you wipe on me anyways?"

Jean's cold and depressed expression said it all, "My trust in others."

Staff Sergeant Keith Shadis watched Jean Kirchstein from his room. "That kid could be the next great commander." He enjoyed speaking to himself rather than thinking his thoughts in his head the entire time. It gave him a sense as if he was talking to a friend, many of which he had lost to the Titans. "Of course, his ideals are correct in a way, but he needs to work on his execution." He set the file for Jean Kirchstein down and picked up Eren Jaeger's.

He looked over at Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman as they walked and talked. Keith chuckled, "Lovebirds. Eren Jaeger… Grisha's son." He set the file for Eren Jaeger down on the table. "Don't worry, Grisha. I'll make your son a fighter. As for Mikasa…" He picked up the file titled _Mikasa Ackerman – The Angel_, and sighed, "She'll never accept the program… She's too attached to Jaeger to be a success in the program."

He tossed the file to the side and picked up three more. "Berthold Hoover, Reiner Braun, and Annie Leonhardt… Exceptional soldiers already. Oh? They're in the program already… Hmm. I wonder…" Keith set the files down. "Oh well." He picked up his phone and dialed a number in.

"_What is it Shadis?"_

"Dr. Jaeger, I have some questions for you…"

Eren had the same dream he had been having for the past five nights. His father was there with a needle in his hand full of a serum of some sort. He was pinning Eren to the ground. The key that led to the heavy vault door in the basement of their house dangled around Grisha Jaeger's neck. _Hold still Eren. I'm only going to tell you this once. Use this power I'm giving you to get to the basement. Remember that. The basement is key. I love you child._ As his father thrust the needle into Eren's chest, Eren awoke, covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

He glanced around the barracks before grabbing at the key around his neck. _Did all of that actually happen?_ He looked out the window and saw a pair of MH-60 Black Hawks land at the Headquarters building. _The Cavalry Regiment is the only regiment who uses Black Hawks… What are they doing here?_

He fell back to sleep with that question in mind. _What is the Cavalry Regiment doing here? What are they doing here? What are we doing here? What are the Titans doing here?_ He drifted off. Back to the same dream of him and his father.

But he was jolted quickly awake by the morning revelry, and by Staff Sergeant Keith Shadis's powerful voice. "Rise and shine, recruits! It is 0430 in the morning! Brush your teeth, take a leak, change your clothes, and form up outside for PT! Today's when the real work begins! Welcome to phase one of training!"

The recruits were about to learn what hell was actually like. It started with a five mile run, pausing every mile to exercise with squats, push-ups, crunches, and stretches. It then led to an obstacle course that each recruit had to finish in under ten minutes. After they finished that, they were given showers and breakfast.

After breakfast came actual training. Three-dimensional maneuver gear training. Each recruit was told the basics of 3DMG stability control and tested. If they failed three times during the test, they would retry the test the next day. If they failed the next day, they were dropped. This was a reality Keith loved to drill into them as they began testing their aptitude. "This is all about aptitude! Know what you are doing! That is all! If you can't even do this, then you aren't even good enough to be Titan bait!"

It seemed everything was going well. The aptitude test was simple. Have enough aptitude to know what you are doing, and you'll balance fine in the 3DMG. Simple. Except for one recruit. Eren Jaeger struggled on his third attempt, face planting into the ground the moment his feet lifted off it.

Keith didn't want the boy to drop out, not with so much potential in him. "What are you doing, recruit?! Get up and go back to your barracks! Medic! See to this recruit!" Eren's face was bloodied to a pulp, his nose most definitely broken, and most likely had several gashes open on his forehead.

His other half, Mikasa, was doing just fine as she swung on the ropes and acted like she was sitting in mid-air. _Bored and ready to move to the next stage I see._ Potato Girl, Armin, Connie, Jean, and the other recruits Keith was told to watch over with extra care were performing just as well.

_Don't worry, Grisha. I'll make your sons and daughters of the project warriors. I'll also make your true son the greatest soldier that humanity will speak of._


	6. Chapter 6

**06**

**A Dim Light in the Darkness of Despair: Humanity's Comeback, Part 3**

"There isn't really anything to it, Eren. You just kind of… do it."

But Eren had been. All day. He, Mikasa, and Armin got permission from Staff Sergeant Shadis to train in the 3DMG for a few hours before his actual test. He had yet to balance himself for more than a second once his feet left the ground. Eren was mad. "I've BEEN doing it, Mikasa!"

Mikasa sighed and brushed her hair from her face. "It'll have to do for now. Staff Sergeant is inbound."

Staff Sergeant Keith Shadis and about twelve other recruits were cresting the hill. They stopped in front of Eren and waited. Tension filled the air as every recruit stiffened in fear of moving enough to catch Staff Sergeant Shadis' attention. Keith loomed over Eren. "Alright, recruit. This is it. Your final test. Lift him, Arlert."

"Yes Staff Sergeant. Lifting."

Eren's feet lifted off the ground, but he didn't face plant this time. It was extremely difficult, but Eren was holding himself upright in front of everyone. But, after a few seconds, his muscles couldn't handle the strain and gave way, and Eren was back on the ground.

Keith didn't respond, but the only thought running through his head was, _no. It can't be. Grisha's true son has to pass this task. He has too much potential._ He pointed at Armin and barked, "Recruit! Switch belts with Jaeger."

"Yes, Staff Sergeant!" Armin took his bracer belt off in record time and handed it to Eren. He then handed Eren's bracer to Keith.

"Alright recruit. Lift him up again!"

"Yes Staff Sergeant. Lifting."

Eren's feet left the ground… and he was balanced perfectly with little exertion from Eren's end. He simply needed to shift his weight around slightly. Everyone was amazed, but the most amazed was Keith as he looked at the bracer. "Jaeger, your buckle on your bracer was faulty. I'll add it to the maintenance checklist."

Whispers flooded the crowd behind Eren. "What? He had faulty gear and was still able to hold himself up in it?"

"If he can do that with faulty gear, he must be incredible."

"I guess that's why they call it basic training. Teaches you what to do when you're given shit odds."

Eren simply smiled with joy as he looked at Mikasa. _I don't need your protection anymore, Mikasa. I'm a true soldier now._

"Jaeger, grab some chow! You, Mikasa, and Armin are dismissed for today. 3DMG in depth training starts tomorrow."

"Yes, Staff Sergeant! Setting down!" Armin let Eren down and gave him a hug. "You did it. Holy shit."

Mikasa ran over to join the pair. "Nice work, Eren."

Keith watched the trio walk towards the mess hall. _Grisha. Today, your son has become a soldier._

The rest of phase one consisted of advanced 3DMG training. Phase two would be the start to their weapons training.

Staff Sergeant Erich Heinz waited for the 104th Trainee Corps to arrive at the firing range. "Welcome, recruits. Staff Sergeant Shadis, I'll take it from here."

"These maggots are all yours, Staff Sergeant Heinz." Keith left the range and joined with a few Cavalry Regiment soldiers.

Heinz, a bald man with round glasses and worn eyes, picked up a rifle. "Depending on your Occupational Specialty in the military, you will be working with a variety of infantry based weapon systems. All of you will be operating with dual paring blades as primary close-range weapons. These are the most effective means for killing Titans, as you are all aware. However, skilled soldiers are able to operate the M107A2 .50 BMG Barrett SASR to pick Titans off at extreme ranges. Every soldier also carries either an M416 carbine, M240B light machine gun, or the M110 SPR for ranged strikes. Rifles are typically used to distract Titans, a common tactic we use to allow a secondary team to get around and kill."

Eren raised his hand, "Is it possible to kill Titans with rifles?"

Heinz grabbed the M416 and smiled, "June, 2010. Staff Sergeant Shadis and I worked on some exterior wall duties at what was once FOB Breaker outside the walls. Titans assaulted in full force. Our blades ran dull. We resorted to our rifles and took down four 20 meter Titans with shots to the weak points. Yes, it's possible, but always resort to your paring blades, unless it is a 3-8 meter Titan. Those guys die easily. I digress. You'll also be training on how to operate ordinance as well. You'll operate the MAAWS, SMAW, TOW, and FGM-148 Javelin AT launchers during your year here. After you leave, you will combine your 3DMG training with your weapons training in order to perfect your combat abilities."

"You will operate in four-man teams for phases two and three of training. Your teams and weapons will be decided randomly. First fire team: Jean Kirchstein, Marco Bott, Connie Springer, and Thomas Wagner. Kirchstein – M416 Grenadier. Bott – M240B Light Machine Gun. Springer – M110 Designated Marksman's Rifle. Wagner – M416 Grenadier. Grab your rifles, vests, and paring blades and wait in the next room."

The four recruits stood, saluted, grabbed their rifles and tactical vests, and exited the range. Heinz continued, "Second fire team: Eren Jaeger, Armin Arlert, Reiner Braun, and Berthold Hoover. Jaeger – M110 Designated Marksman's Rifle. Arlert – M416 Grenadier. Braun – M240B Light Machine Gun. Hoover – M110 Designated Marksman's Rifle. Grab kit and go."

Eren grinned as he sheathed his blades and slung his long rifle over his shoulder. "Yes Staff Sergeant." He looked back at a tall, brown eyed, brown haired recruit and a muscular and tall blonde haired, green eyed recruit. Eren extended his hand to the two recruits. "I'm Eren Jaeger."

The brown haired recruit shook first. "Berthold Hoover."

The other recruit grabbed his rifle and gear before shaking. "Reiner Braun."

"Nice to meet all of you. This is my friend, Armin Arlert. Looks like we're a team."

Reiner Braun grinned, "Yeah. Team Titan Killers. Let's do our best, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan."


	7. Chapter 7

**07**

** A Dim Light in the Darkness of Despair: Humanity's Comeback, Part Four**

"Jaeger! Your next target is target Delta, I say again, target Delta! You have sixty seconds to fire." Staff Sergeant Erik Heinz was excited, so excited that he didn't care that he had bit his tongue several times while chewing his gum as he watched the fourteen year old kid. Eren was just fifteen points away from qualifying as an anti-Titan sniper. Meaning, if he hit his last two targets in their first shots, he would be twenty points over the qualification requirement. He had a huge cushion as well with four other targets remaining after target Delta.

"Roger." He set his eyes on target Delta, a mock-up of a twenty five meter Titan that Eren guessed was 140 yards away in the misty range.

Reiner Braun, his spotter, thought differently. "Vectoring at 210 yards. Fifteen meter Titan." Eren knew better than to argue with the spotter and the rangefinder, so he made his judgments accordingly.

"Set. Wind?"

"Two knots, east to west."

Eren compensated for the wind by adjusting the turrets on the scope of his Barrett M107A2 .50 BMG anti-Titan sniper rifle.

"Set."

"Fire when ready."

Eren closed his eyes and settled into his breathing pattern before speaking.

"Ready to fire."

"Fire. Fire. Fire." Eren twitched the trigger at the last "fire." The M107's muzzle blasted soil from his shooting position and sparked a bright orange in the misty morning as it spat out a .50 BMG round out of its barrel and sent it flying towards target Delta. The ping of the round hitting the one by one meter steel plate echoed through the range as the round struck it and sparked.

Staff Sergeant Heinz bit his tongue again, "Hit. Next target... is target Golf. I say again, target Golf. Sixty seconds."

Target Golf was the most difficult target in the range, stretching out at just over 680 yards. "Roger."

"Vectored at 685 yards. Six meter Titan. 25 degree downhill slope. Wind still steady at two knots east to west."

Eren adjust his scope accordingly and swore. The 15x magnification optic wasn't enough to spot the one by one meter "kill plate" that he was supposed to hit. Eren would have to use his knowledge of the location of the kill plate in order to hit it. "Set."

"Fire when ready."

"Ready to fire."

"Fire. Fire. Fire." Eren twitched the trigger again, a huge grin spreading across his face. But he didn't feel the shock absorbing butt pad slam against his shoulder, didn't flinch at the overwhelming muzzle blast, and didn't hear a ping downrange. He had a dry fire. Out of ammo. Eren swore as Heinz began counting down from ten. He loaded a round into the chamber, cocked it, settled into his breathing pattern, and fired. The recoil felt satisfying. But he still didn't hear a ping.

"Miss. Reengage."

Now Eren had thirty seconds to reload and adjust his DOPE (data on previous engagement). He slid the new round into the chamber, charged the bolt, and looked at his last shot location. He had cleverly used an incendiary round to mark his hit and help illuminate the kill plate. He had struck just above it. So Eren aimed a little lower, placing his crosshair just below the sparking incendiary round, and twitched the trigger.

The loud bang sent birds flying into the air. The soft ping sent Reiner's fist into the air. "Hit! Hell yeah, nice shot Eren!"

Staff Sergeant Heinz spit his gum out and hopped down from his observation post. "Nice work Jaeger. You and Braun just graduated my sniper school. Here are your Sniper tabs." Eren and Reiner were all smiles as Heinz pinned the Sniper tabs to their uniforms. "You two are dismissed. Get back to your fireteam."

The two recruits saluted, "Yes, Staff Sergeant." Eren and Reiner sprinted off to join the other recruits at the mess hall, and to show off his new Sniper tab to Mikasa. It was yet more proof that Eren didn't need her.

He met up with Berthold and Armin outside the mess hall that night. "Come with us, Eren. We're going on a little walk."

The four recruits chatted about minor topics along the way as Reiner and Berthold took the lead. "Where are we going?"

"Eren. Why do you want to join the Cavalry Regiment?" Reiner spun around and walked backwards as he waited for an answer from Eren.

"I told you this already. I'm going to escape these walls and kill all of the Titans."

Reiner pondered this for a moment before turning around. "I hope you know that if you make the top ten, which you probably will, you can request to join the Military Police and-"

"No. We've already discussed this several times. Why is it the top ten - the best fighters - are allowed to avoid the Titans? It's ridiculous. Honing your Titan skills just to avoid them. It's inefficient and stupid."

"Yes, but like Jean said on the first day, not all of us are suicidal. Most of us joined because we didn't want to work the fields for ten years and because society will shun us if we do not enlist at 12 and go through this grueling training for three years."

Armin soaked this in as they climbed up a ridge. "So why did you and Berthold join?"

"Berthold and I are from a mountain village to the west. The Titans came before the warning did. We didn't realize it until they were outside our houses." He paused at the top of another ridge.

"We're here." He helped Eren and Armin up the ridge and let them look across at the scene below.

The clouds parted, revealing a forest surrounding a sapphire colored lake in the middle of a valley. Clouds kissed the lake and the tops of the trees, giving the view a nice blend of whites, browns, blues, and greens. Reiner sat down on the edge of the ridge and sighed. "This is what I'm personally fighting for. It would suck to see a bunch of naked giant people out there, right?"

Eren laughed. "Yeah. It's... It's beautiful."

"Eren. Just remember that fighting is what we do, whether it's fighting other people or fighting Titans." Eren simply nodded. Reiner and Berthold were fighting to preserve the views of nature. Armin was fighting to help all of humanity. As Eren looked back at his reason for fighting, he felt selfish. He only wanted revenge for his mother. He remembered what Hannes told him that day._ Survive today, and you can kill Titans tomorrow_.

Eren didn't have the same dream about his father that night. Instead, he dreamed about the lake in the valley, and how he would fly through it on his 3D maneuver gear. It turned into a nightmare very quickly though.


	8. Chapter 8

***Author's Note***

So, so far you've all had a taste of the series and the modernization of it. At the end of this chapter, please leave reviews on whether or not you like the way the modernization is going and if you like the cliffhanger mystery points. My Asus T100 Transformer Netbook has taken a giant shit on me (screen crack. rendered useless), so these chapters will be released on a shorter basis, but will now be longer than 1,000+ words per chapter after chapter 8. Starting here I will be adding in new fighting elements for Titans, as well as new concepts to the 3DMG. It's pretty basic on how it works, it's only flaw being that in reality it would take an incredible amount of gas to fly as fast and as far as the people in AOT do. For now, enjoy the longer chapters, and enjoy finding out what "The Program" is for those of you who have read the manga.

**08**

**A Dim Light in the Darkness of Despair: Night of the Disbanding Ceremony, Part 1**

"Wake up! Wake up! This is a live fire night exercise! Let's go!" Staff Sergeant Keith Shadis looked at his watch, reading 0230. _A little bit too early for night movements, don't you think Keith?_ He stowed the thoughts as he watched his hardened recruits jolt awake and grab their camouflage uniforms, helmets, and combat vests.

All with the lights off. Not a single recruit struggled. Keith was successful in making a bunch of ragtag kids into hardened soldiers. This night exercise would prove whether or not they were eligible to graduate, or if they would be cycled into the next group of recruits for another three years of training.

15 year old Eren Jaeger grabbed his M110 DMR and stood at attention. "Titus Squad, weapons check! Jaeger is clear!" Shadis looked down at his clipboard as he wrote, _Jaeger: Not exceptional in any area, but improved greatly due to sheer willpower, qualified for Anti-Titan Sniper._

Reiner Braun donned his combat helmet, the reflective "cat-eyes" on the back shining bright as day. He grabbed his equipment and stood at attention next to Eren. "Weapons check! Braun is clear!" Shadis wrote again, _Reiner Braun: Excellent marksman, excellent both physically and mentally. Trusted and respected by all of his teammates, also qualified for Anti-Titan Sniper._

Berthold Hoover slung his rifle over his shoulder and stood at attention next to his squad mates, "Weapons check! Hoover is clear!" _Berthold Hoover: Lacks initiative, but has great potential._

Armin shouldered his rifle and zeroed his red dot before joining his squad, "Weapons check! Arlert clear!" Keith chuckled to himself, _Armin Arlert: Not suited for the battlefield, but his tactics and wisdom are what kept him in the Program. Junior Commander qualified._

Eren led his squad in a slow march to the front doors of the barracks and shouted, "Staff Sergeant, Titus Squad is clear!"

"Stay in line, Jaeger. Wait for Macbeth Squad to join you."

Keith looked over at Macbeth Squad's squad leader, Mikasa Ackerman. _Her talent is unbeatable. Considered to be one of the best trainees in history, but can choose to ignore orders in order to benefit herself_.

He then looked at the other three members of Macbeth Squad. _Annie Leonhardt: Flawless form when under pressure, but lacks the ability to work in a team._ He looked at the newly added Jean Kirchstein and Connie Springer. _Jean Kirchstein: Exceptional operation of 3DMG, but his personality causes clashes with his teammates NOTE - has moved squads due to his personality, qualified for Anti-Titan Sniper. Connie Springer: Great soldier physically, but needs to work on his tactics and mental skills._ She wasn't in the squad, but Keith decided to leave a report for Sasha Braus as well, _Sasha Braus: She has unconventionally skilled tactics, but makes for more of the special teams operator than a big ground group due to said tactics. Covert operations and Anti-Titan Sniper qualified._

Mikasa marched her squad to the door and shouted, "Staff Sergeant, Macbeth Squad is clear!"

"Macbeth, Titus, you two take point! Your objective is to maneuver through the forest and clear out any Titans you see." He threw maps down at them, "We're launching mortars, artillery, and extensive heavy machine gun fire down the east and west sides of the forest marked in red. If you want to live, stay out of those zones! Go!"

Keith swung the doors open and watched the first two squads rush out into the night. Eren took the lead, taking both squads as close to the red zone as possible. He keyed his radio and barked, "Macbeth 1 this is Titus 1, take your squad along the western border. Titus 1 will take the eastern side. Form up in the middle in a line with a fifty meter gap between each man when we regroup. We'll hold there at grid location 015 664 and wait for the rest of the squads. Over."

"Titus 1 this is Macbeth 1. Copy that. Taking the western border sweep. Echelon left formation, ten meter spread. Macbeth 1 out."

Eren nodded as Mikasa's squad crossed paths with him and headed for the western edge. He could see the dim glow of artillery flashes and heavy machine gun fire spreading across the marked red zones of the course. The only light they had were the occasional illumination rounds sent by the mortar teams, which were almost too far and few in between to be of use.

Heavy machine gun fire chattered the air, making the once peaceful night chaotic. It may have only been two or three MGs, but they were timed perfectly with the artillery impacts and mortar bombardments for a constant state of noise. Three years ago, Eren's long dead civilian side would have run away from the mortars and artillery bombardments. But, he was a warrior now. Staff Sergeant Keith Shadis, Staff Sergeant Erich Heinz, and Master Sergeant Darius Vinci had drilled it into him that Eren would run in the same direction as the gunfire. Even more, the Cavalry Regiment's motto was "Run Towards the Sounds of Chaos."

So Eren ran. He ran away from his once fearful self. His weak state. His dead mother. His burned and irradiated town of Shinganshina. He ran away from his past, and towards the sounds of chaos. Towards his future with the Cavalry Regiment. Towards his strength. His brothers and sisters in arms. Towards the now not-so-scary Titans. Towards the outside. Towards his fears. Towards his true and desired self.

Staff Sergeant Keith Shadis watched Eren and the rest of the 104th Trainee Corps run towards the sounds of chaos. It reminded him of the failed operations he had been conducting with several small squads as part of the Cavalry Regiment. Those were years ago. Keith stowed his thoughts as his junior drill instructors reported back, "Titus and Macbeth have cleared the first checkpoints. Time at five minutes and twenty-seven seconds. Over."

Keith picked up the radio, "Solid copy. Keep the reports coming. Julius Caesar Squad and Hamlet Squad is leaving the barracks now and heading to the objectives. Keep me posted. Shadis out."

Keith grinned at the timestamp. 5:27 was the fastest time any squad had ever cleared the first checkpoint. It was even faster than his own time when he was in King John Squad with Levi, Petra, and Eld when they were recruits. _These kids will make history..._ Keith heard a knock at his door. "Come in."

Keith looked up at the six commanders and stood at attention. There was also another man behind the commanders, a man who was very important in determining how this war would be fought. Commander Dot Pixis, the Garrison Force Commander. Known for his calm demeanor and politeness. Commander Erwin Smith, the Cavalry Regiment Commander. Known for his placement amongst his troops instead of above them. Commander Nile Dock, the Military Police Commander. Known - and feared - for his paranoia. Commander Edward Schneizer, the Armored Corps Commander. Known for his tactics for assaulting rather than defending. Commander Alex Grendel, the Rotor Wing Force Commander. Known for his motto, "Death from Above." Commander Joshua Sprits, the Air Force Commander. Known for his ruthlessness.

All three commanders had flaws. But, all were exceptional commanders. Just like Keith used to be before he joined the Trainee division after his final failed mission outside the walls. He nodded at his successor, Erwin Smith, before speaking. "Commander Dock, I have the files of the top ten recruits that are eligible for MP detail."

The man was forthright, simply sticking out his hand and waiting for the files. Keith placed them in his hands and said nothing as the awkward man walked out. _Nobody deserves to be punished by serving under that asshole_. He directed his attention to the remaining five. "Tomorrow is the Disbandment Ceremony for the recruits. They'll have a day of wall duty after graduation before selecting their chosen branch. Commander Smith, you reserved your recruitment slot for the end of their second day as soldiers, correct? It means you will be recruiting first."

"Yes."

"Alright. Next order of business is the Program. Doctor Grisha, if you may..."

Meanwhile, Eren was flying through the air on his 3DMG, spotting the dummy Titans easily with the help of the illumination rounds from the mortars. He raced straight for one of them by increasing the gas output. As he neared the target, he shot left to get around and reveal the target's soft "kill cushion" that was one meter tall by one meter wide. Eren's M110 automatically locked to his chest rig as he drew his blades and sped towards the kill cushion. Mikasa's squad had already swept the western zone and were waiting for Eren and his squad. Eren needed to finish this one off fast if he wanted to beat Mikasa.

He shot forward and brought his blades across the target's neck, leaving a large gash. He gave a sigh of relief and spoke in his radio as he sheathed his blades. "Titus 2, this is Titus 1. Last Titan down. Moving to rally point. Over."

"Titus 2 copies. Waiting at rally point. Over."

"Titus 1 copies. ETA twenty seconds. Out."

"Titus 2 roger. Out."

The rain beat down hard and lashed at Eren's face as he continued to soar through the air. This was his shining moment. This was his time to show off his strength to the Cavalry Regiment's commander. It was also the time to teach that punk Jean a lesson and show Mikasa he truly didn't need her help anymore.

As Eren shot through the tree canopy and looked down at the forest, he smiled. He no longer felt the constant lashing of the rain, or the chilling wind running down his spine. He was invincible. Nothing would touch him. He thought to himself. _We've been food for thousands of years. Now... Now we become the hunters._


End file.
